Lobster fishermen ask for tax governor may veto

SACRAMENTO  Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña donned an apron and delivered lobster sushi to the Governor’s Office one night last week.

It was the San Diego Democrat’s way of promoting legislation sought by lobster fishermen to tax themselves $300 to help preserve their fishery.

“The lobstermen see this as an investment in their future,” Saldaña said.

But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be persuaded, particularly after vetoing similar legislation last year. His Department of Fish and Game — the beneficiary of the revenues — opposes the bill. In a letter, the department said the $61,000 raised annually would not cover many goals outlined in Saldaña’s Assembly Bill 408.

Supporters of the surcharge say the funds could go toward fish management studies or even creation of artificial reefs that could attract lobsters.

The measure cleared both houses with only one Republican vote last week.

The waters off San Diego accounts for roughly a third of the 738,000 lobsters landed in the 2008-09 season. Statewide, the 200 or so permitted fishermen hauled in $7.8 million that year.

The $300 equals roughly what 14 lobsters would fetch at the dock.

Fishermen promoting the fee say the state is expected to limit where they can set traps, under the Marine Life Protection Act.

A prime spot just off La Jolla is expected to be declared off-limits. Cumulatively, the coastal closures will squeeze more traps into smaller spaces, risking overfishing.

“My concern is that people are having to go out and fish a lot harder for the same amount of lobsters,” Hunter Lenihan, a marine ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said earlier this year.

“That creates stress on the fishermen and stress on the resources because it takes more fuel and time,” he continued.

The $300 tacked on annual permits would nearly double the fee. Lobster hunters say they are under no illusion that it would fund what’s needed. They see it as future seed money, much like the Duck Stamp supplements wildlife programs.

“A better lobster resource equals more productivity from us,” said Rodger Healy, president of the California Lobster and Trap Fishermen’s Association.

A University of California Santa Barbara survey indicated support among lobster fishermen for the additional permit costs.

But Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, argued against the measure, saying “it has no flexibility” for Fish and Game to establish priorities.

He also was not convinced that the survey sample was large enough to reflect a true majority of lobster hunters.